DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Showing off his silver medal, Bryan Clay was honored at the opening of the Windward Hoolaulea yesterday at Windward Community College. The Hawaii-grown decathlete later signed autographs and took pictures with well-wishers. Clay was with his wife, Sarah.

Kaneohe rolls out
silver carpet for Clay

Friends, family and
fans show pride for
the local Olympian

Olympic decathlon silver medalist Bryan Clay got a hero's welcome in his hometown of Kaneohe yesterday, his first U.S. public appearance since the games in Athens.

Before a few weeks ago, "nobody knew who Bryan Clay was, except Hawaii," Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona said. "The power of Hawaii is, I think, that incredible. I like to think that we kind of willed him along the way."

At the Fourth Annual Windward Hoolaulea on the Windward Community College campus yesterday, hundreds of people knew exactly who the 5-foot, 11-inch, 174-pound, "little big man from Kaneohe" was.

Sure he was the guy that scored the second-best Olympic decathlon score ever by an American and his own personal best (8,820 points) on Aug. 23 and 24.

But he was also cousin, nephew, grandson, former Castle High School classmate, friend and "local boy who made good."

Friends and family helping with yesterday's event wore T-shirts that read "Imua Bryan Ezra (his middle name) -- We are so proud of you. Aloha, your Kaneohe Ohana."

Among the heap of leis on Clay's neck was a special one of ti-leaf roses that his grandmother, Kay Ishimoto, made for him. She and Clay's grandfather, Tsumoru Ishimoto, also traveled to Athens to see their grandson compete and they were among those beaming to see him the center of attention yesterday.

"I can't explain to you how good it feels to come home and have people make a big deal about you, when you feel you're really not anybody to be made a big deal about," the 24-year-old Clay said before spending almost two hours posing for photos and signing autographs for admirers. "I can't say enough about the support of everybody in Hawaii."

Norma Crowder, first in line for an autograph, doesn't know Clay personally.

"We're just supporting him because he's a Kaneohe boy," she said, holding the poster-sized photo of Clay he signed with a felt-tip pen. "I'm just a fan."

But many others lined up to congratulate Clay yesterday did have personal ties.

Moanalua Middle School student Alex Ching, 13, said his grandmother is cousin to Clay's grandfather. When his family watched Clay in the Olympics, "we were excited and proud," he said.

Several members of the Hawaii Masters Track Club had Clay sign a decathlon score sheet from a club meet in 1997, when he scored 5,885 points.

Though the club is for people 30 and older, members allowed Clay to participate in meets with them to get familiar with the 10-event sport, since it wasn't available at the high school level.

"I let him throw my javelin," recalled Kevin Kruszona, president of the club and one of several older athletes who encouraged Clay to pursue the decathlon. "That's the farthest it ever went."

"We've been his fans ever since he was in high school," said club member Jeff Karbens. To have a Hawaii Olympic medal-winner "should be a giant boost for track and field for Hawaii," he said.

Castle High junior Jaymie Kanda said she's heard a lot about Clay since joining the track and field team. "I am so proud and so happy I got his autograph," she said yesterday.

Clay's former high school coach, Martin Hee, encouraged all 25 members of his current Castle cross-country team to come pay respects to the boy he identified as a "diamond in the rough" back in 1994.

One grown woman in running gear told another, after meeting Clay, "I touched the silver medal! I touched the medal!"

Bernie Brown "used to tape this guy" as the former Castle High School athletic trainer. "Now I gotta stand in line to see him," he joked.

Brown remembered Clay as "always polite, always encouraging the rest of the track team. He's a great kid."

Despite training an average of eight hours a day for the decathlon for the past four years, Clay emphasized yesterday that anyone can reach their goal if they work on it.

"If you look at me, I'm not different than anybody else out there. I was just a little kid that liked to run around, go to the beach, and I finally put my mind to something and achieved it."

Proud mama, Michele Vandenburg, said her son's success proves that "you can do anything if you put your heart and soul into it. ... It's really something to watch your child achieve his dream."

But the dream won't be complete, according to Clay, until four years from now after the Beijing Olympics.

"Hopefully we'll be doing this again in 2008," he said, "with a different-colored medal."